Transistors Changed Everything. Here’s How They Work

The transistor is a semiconductor device that controls the flow of electrical current and serves as the basic building block of modern electronics. Invented in 1947 at Bell Labs by John Bardeen, Leon Cooper, and Robert Schrieffer, the transistor replaced vacuum tubes in electronic circuits, enabling smaller and more efficient devices. Transistors form the logic gates and memory storage components of computers, and their continued miniaturization has enabled the development of integrated circuits and microprocessors.

Next story